


The Fox's Tale

by gatesofeori



Category: Ao no Exorcist | Blue Exorcist
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-19
Updated: 2017-05-05
Packaged: 2018-10-07 23:27:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 13,338
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10372227
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gatesofeori/pseuds/gatesofeori
Summary: AU where Renzou finds an injured fox laying next to a shrine dedicated to Inari. When he returns home from school, he finds that the fox is gone and there is a girl in his room.





	1. Chapter 1

Kamiki Izumo despised humans. More specifically, she despised exorcists. Her mother was taken from her when she was eleven years old, leaving her to take care of her seven year old sister. Since then, she hasn’t made any contact with humans. That is until her sister was taken by a group of humans, leaving her by herself in the forest. She barely even knew the man that she was supposed to call “father,” but from what her mother told her, he was human. Whatever made her mother crazy enough to even _want_ to be with a human was beyond her.

In order to take care of herself, she had to get things on her own. For a little girl, it was harder than she thought. Living next to a farmer was easy pickings, but she had to fight off wolves and whatever other animals were roaming around. It got so bad that she came across a pack of them one night. It was not a good night for her. She left the farmer’s field being lucky she was even alive.

Running back to the shrine she called home, she laid herself down in front of the large stone fox that stood tall. Around its neck was a red bib. Bruised and bloodied, Izumo curled up in a ball as she tried to keep herself warm. She did not like crying, but given the circumstances, she was in pain. In was normal to whimper and cry out in pain. It was… normal. All she hoped for now, was that no one would see her in the situation. Fox or not.


	2. Chapter 2

Shima Renzou did not expect himself to be the kind of person to take in stray animals. It wasn’t that he didn’t care for them, but it was more of Shiemi’s thing to do. He found the snow white fox with black markings early that morning laying next to one of the large Inari statues. Luckily he had time to return home before school started to do what he could to help the poor animal.

He was actually in a hurry to get home after school was over and even he was surprised about that. Suguro and Konekomaru trailed behind him, telling him to slow down and wait up for them. It got to the point where he started running and he came to a stop when he came to the front door of the temple. He opened the door, not bothering to greet his older brothers who were in the family room with one of the Hojo girls. Taking his shoes off, he rushed to his room.

“Hey, at least greet your brothers when you get home!” he heard Kinzou angrily yell.

“Leave him be, Kinzou.” Juuzou said to him with a sigh. “Oh, Bon, Koneko! Welcome back.”

“Thanks, Juuzou. Any reason why Shima’s in such a hurry?” Suguro tried to catch his breath as he questioned.

Mamushi shrugged, “It might be that animal he brought in this morning.”

“Animal?” Konekomaru exchanged glances with Suguro before the two rushed to catch up with Renzou.

“Shima!” Suguro called, tossing his shoes off. He glanced back to see Konekomaru do the same.

Suguro and Konekomaru came to a sliding stop when the saw Renzou standing in the doorway to his room. What each other the three boys saw in the bedroom was something they were not expecting. Renzou’s jaw dropped when he saw the girl sitting on his bed, tangled up in a white sheet, similar to the one he had wrapped the white fox in. Her skin was fair and her long purple hair draped down her chest. Her red eyes were almost soothingly to look at, but they flared up with anger when she saw the three boys.

“This is like a dream come true!” Renzou said aloud, his eyes not leaving the girl. “Not only is there a cute girl in my room, but she’s naked too!”

“That’s the only thing you’re really worried about!?” Suguro snapped, his face turning red as he looked away.

“Shouldn’t you be asking why she’s here in the first place?” Konekomaru covered his eyes, feeling ashamed at the sight.

The girl must have just woke up because she looked tired. There were bruises on her arms and some on her legs could be seen in places that weren’t covered by the sheet. The girl instinctively covered herself up with not only her hands but the sheet as well. The small oval-shaped eyebrows of hers showed off the anger as she screamed.

“Who the hell are you!?” the girl’s face turned a dark shade of red as she turned the attention to her surroundings in the room. “And where am I!?”

“We should be asking you the same thing! Why are you in Shima’s room!?” Suguro snapped back, though his attention stayed focused to the floor.

Konekomaru kept his hands over his eyes, not wanting to intrude anymore on the girl’s privacy. “Shima, what’s going on? I thought Juuzou said you rescued an _animal_!”

Suguro grabbed the back of Renzou’s shirt, pulling him back before he gave him the chance to answer. “Before you do anything, get her some clothes! Unless you’re really that much of a pervert to let a girl go walking around the temple naked!”

Renzou paused for a moment before he called down the hall to Mamushi, asking to borrow some clothes, saying he would explain the situation later. Getting a few harsh comments back from the Hojo girl, Renzou decided that her answer was “yes,” so he quickly shoved Suguro and Konekomaru out of the room.

“Bon, you know where Mamushi keeps her clothes, right? Can you get me some?” Renzou whispered. “If pops catches me he won’t let me explain but if it’s you…!”

Suguro felt like he didn’t have a choice and he stomped down the hallway to the left to grab a change of clothes for the mysterious girl. Coming back a few minutes later, Suguro handed Renzou a pair of the traditional robes worn around the temple. “You can give them to her since you have no problem looking at a girl naked.”

Renzou pouted at his friend as he snatched the clothes from him. Returning to his room, he was quickly shoved out of the room and the door slammed shut as the girl grabbed the clothes from him, still covered up by the sheet.

Suguro glared at Renzou who was whistling. “Care to explain what this whole deal is about?”

Renzou shrugged, “You’re asking me? I know about as much as you do, Bon!”

Konekomaru finally uncovered his eyes with a sigh, “But Shima, aren’t you the one to blame here? Juuzou said that you brought an animal home, so what was up with that?”

Playing with his pink hair, Renzou looked down at him. “Ah, well, yeah I did. I brought it home before I got to school. Kinzou was supposed to be watching after the little thing. It was injured so I just couldn’t leave it out in the rain.”

“Well it wasn’t in your room, so how do you explain that?” Suguro asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I’m sure Kinzou just lost it. What else is new?” Renzou said. 

Konekomaru gasped, “So you’re saying that there’s a wild animal running around the temple? What happens if it bites someone? Shima, that could be bad!”

Renzou chuckled and shook his head, “Calm down. It’s probably back in the wild. You know, foxes are kinda cute now that I’m thinking abou…”

“You’re the one that saved me!?” The sliding door to Renzou’s room slid open and the girl looked shocked. Her purple hair was now up in twin pigtails and the bruises on her body were hidden by the black and white robes of the temple. “You’ve got to be kidding me!”


	3. Chapter 3

Suguro and Konekomaru got no answers out of the girl, not even her name. She refused to speak to the two and only wanted to speak to Renzou. The four of them were sitting on the floor in the pink-head’s room in a circle. The girl was still furious and her anger only grew when Renzou told her to explain what was going on.

“I’m only speaking to the one that saved my life!” the girl huffed once again. It wasn’t the first time she had to repeat herself, it was more like the third or fourth.

“Whatever you can tell me you can say in front of Bon and Koneko! They’re my friends!” Renzou whined, rocking back and forth. “I told you that already! Besides, they’re bond to figure out what you are since we live at the same temple.”

The girl was starting to get impatient, so she gave in to the strangers. “Fine. My name is Kamiki Izumo and I’m a kitsune that serves under the god of Inari.”

The boys went silent for a moment as they exchanged looks. Konekomaru and Suguro stared at Renzou, making him uncomfortable. He wasn’t waiting for a lecture from Suguro, knowing that if he didn’t get one now, he would get one from his father and brothers later. Out of his choices, he would much rather listen to Suguro yell at him. Renzou looked up at the ceiling. Just how was he going to get out of this mess?

“Nice going, Shima!” Suguro let out an annoyed sigh. “Once Juuzou and your father find out about the mess you’re in, you’ll be dead.”

Konekomaru rubbed his neck, “Well, it could be a lot worse. After all, Inari’s foxes are meant to bring good omens, remember?”

“Koneko’s right! Good omens!” Renzou nodded with a grin. “How bad could this whole thing possibly be?”

“You have a _kitsune_ in your house. Good or bad, she can’t stay here!” Suguro said.

“You idiots do know that I can hear you, right?” Izumo frowned as she crossed her arms. “And when can I get clothes that will actually fit me? These are too big. And like the gorilla said, I’m not staying here. I’ll be leaving as soon as possible.”

Suguro stood up, “Figure out the whole thing. I’ll try to keep this a secret from my dad, but if it comes up, I’m not going to lie to him.” He looked down at Konekomaru and Renzou. “It’s getting late and I have some memorizing to do. Koneko, come on. Leave this idiot here by himself. I don’t want to be around when Juuzou finds out about this.”

“Right. Sorry, Shima but Bon does have a point.” Konekomaru nodded and stood up. “I’m not saying she’s lying, but be careful.”

Renzou watched as his two friends walked out of his room and he pouted. “C’mon guys… Don’t leave!” he whined. Bringing his attention to Izumo, he forced a smile. “Uh, so…”

Izumo glared at him, “So… what? Out with it already, idiot.”

“Well, you know…” Renzou shrugged as he looked at his bed. “... you should probably stay here for a little bit until your wounds are fully healed up. It wouldn’t be good if they reopened.”

Izumo scoffed, “I don’t care. You’re a human.” She spoke with disgust filling her voice, emphasizing on the word ‘human’ with a look of disdain on her face. “I’ll be fine on my own. I don’t need you.”

Renzou pretended to be hurt, “Wha, that’s so mean, Izumo!” he whined. “But, why don’t you like humans? We’re not that bad. I mean, we do have our bad points and all, but most of us are pretty good people.”

Izumo crossed her arms across her chest, “I have my reasons and you don’t need to know.” She brought a hand down to her stomach as it growled, her face flushing as she looked away from the boy.

Renzou covered his laugh up with a cough, but it didn’t last long. “Izumo, are you hungry? Your stomach says you are.” He grabbed his phone sitting beside him and pressed the button, “Well, it is getting close to dinner time. I can get you something to eat!” He stood up and stretched his back out. “Ah, but then again, if you come with me, Juuzou and Kinzou might start to ask questions.”

“And that’s a problem?” Izumo questioned. “You did save me after all, so…” She let out an annoyed sigh, “... I do owe you a favor. As much as I hate to say it, it’s the least I can do for you. But whether or not I actually carry out that favor is up to me.”

Renzou looked down at the girl, pouting a bit. “Then how does that benefit me?” Whining, he leaned down to grab Izumo’s hand and pull her up. “I guess we’ll figure that out later. For now, I should really explain this whole thing to my family. They’ll throw a fit later if they find out on their own.”

Izumo snatched her hand away from Renzou, hissing at him with a glare. “Don’t touch me.” she mumbled harshly under her breath. She looked at her hand as if it was covered in mud and wiped it on her clothes. Taking a quick glance around the room she was in, she thought silently to herself. It couldn’t be too bad staying in a place like this, right? After all, it was a temple. She had been used to being around temples her whole life and it would be better than laying around in the forest where an animal could potentially harm her even more. Or worse, an exorcist.

Maybe staying in a place like this was a good idea… for now anyways.


	4. Chapter 4

Renzou had no contact with Izumo while he was at school. He had thought about buying her a phone, but that would only raise questions as to why a phone was going off in his room when he _always_ had his phone with him. Out of all of his friends, Bon and Konekomaru were the only two that knew about his situation back at home. It was annoying keeping it a secret from everyone, but he knew that he couldn’t tell them with risks that Rin would open his mouth about it to Yukio. That would be just as bad as having his family find out. Yukio was the only one amongst his friends that was studying to become an exorcist and he’s been at the cram school ever since his foster father died. Suguro thought about going into the cram school, but his father wouldn’t allow it. Not that he was strict, but he worried for his only son’s safety.

He didn’t really understand the whole kitsune thing, and couldn’t find anything on the creatures at the local library and it only made it harder for him to get the information since he wasn’t at the cram school like Yukio. Maybe if he enrolled in the exorcist school, he would have the access, but that was too much work for him. Once again, asking his brothers or father for help would only raise questions and Izumo didn’t seem to want to talk much about what she was. Sighing to himself, he was out of options.

“You could always look it up on the internet.” Suguro told him, snapping him out of his racing thoughts.

“Huh?” Renzou blinked and looked at his friend who was sitting next to him in the grass.

His group of friends would often eat outside during their lunch break as long as it was nice outside. Konekomaru was sitting to his other side, helping Rin with whatever homework he was having trouble with this time. Shiemi was reading a book on plants, something she held a strong interest in and Paku was sitting silently as she enjoyed the homemade meal her mother made for her.

“Look what up on the internet?” Rin asked, glancing over to both Renzou and Suguro. “Suguro’s probably right, you know! You can find all sorts of things out on the internet! Yukio uses it all the time for his classes.”

Renzou pouted a bit, “There’s this new porn magazine that’s supposed to come out this month and I really wanna get it…” he started to whine.  
“What’s stopping you from getting it?” Rin asked, closing his book that was laying wide open on the ground. “You usually always buy that kind of stuff.”

“Yeah, well…” Renzou tried to come up with a lie on the spot, something he was usually used to doing. “It’s a limited edition brand and it’s gonna be expensive.”

Shiemi held her book up the her face to cover her blushing face. “That’s not something you should be proud about, Shima!”

“Girls don’t like knowing about things like that, you know.” Paku nodded, agreeing with Shiemi as she wiped her mouth. “Maybe that’s why you can’t get a girlfriend.” she laughed.

“You know they have a point, Shima.” Konekomaru said with a sigh. “Anyways, Rin you’re gonna fail at this point if you don’t keep studying.”

“I would be surprise if he even knew _how_ to study.” Suguro grinned, looking at Rin. “He’s really stupid after all.”

The group of students attended True Cross Academy, which was ironically connected to the exorcist cram school where Yukio went to classes. Out of all of his friends, Rin was the one who talked about becoming an exorcist the most, but never made the first step to actually go to any of the classes. He said it wouldn’t be the same if the others didn’t attend with him, though this was probably because of his problem reading. Paku had no interest in it and Shiemi was nervous because of what her mother might say.

Renzou laid back in the grass as he stared at the sky. School wasn’t his favorite thing in the world, mainly because he was always getting caught sneaking adult magazines into his classes. And since it was only a day after he rescued Izumo, his mind kept wandering if his family found out about her or not. That and he was worried about her running back to the forest while she was still injured. He made sure to explain to her that it was important she didn’t leave his room unless it was to go to the bathroom. He provided her with snacks and other food he left in his room, but she told him that she wasn’t interested in eating anything he had to give her.

“Think I’m gonna ditch the rest of school.” he said aloud, rather than thinking to himself.

“Hell no you’re not. You’ve already skipped classes twice this month and if Juuzou finds out about it, he’s gonna kill you.” Suguro frowned.

Renzou knew not to push Suguro anymore, especially since he knew the _real_ reason why he wanted to go ditch school. There was only three more hours left of classes so he figured he would at least try to make an effort of staying away during whatever lectures were waiting for him. He groaned, rolling over on his stomach. “No fair, Bon…”


	5. Chapter 5

Renzou was greeted to his father, brothers, and the Hojo head, Uwabami when he arrived home. This was not going to be good. Juuzou’s face was red from his anger and his father looked even more pissed off. Kinzou just looked surprised and Uwabami was waiting for an explanation on whatever they were waiting for. Great… this was not what he wanted to come home to. Suguro and Konekomaru peered from behind him, slowly making their way towards the opposite side of the temple towards the High Priest’s temple.

“Uhh… hey!” Renzou greeted, attempting a quick run for his room.

Juuzou grabbed a hold of the back of his shirt with a harsh growl. “Re-n-zou!” he hissed out. “Would you like to explain what the hell is going on around here!?”

“Just when I thought you couldn’t disappoint me anymore. Dying your hair pink was one thing, but this brings it to a whole ‘nother level!” Yaozo sighed in irritation.

Kinzou shoved Renzou into the meeting room with an amused grin on his face. “Baby brother has some explaining to do~” he hummed. He was enjoying this way too much.

Once settled at the table, Renzou pushed his school bag aside, not daring to make eye contact with his family and Uwabami. Sometime in the process of getting yelled at by Juuzou and laughed at by Kinzou, Yaozo silenced his two eldest sons. “Renzou, I want a full detailed explanation to what exactly you were thinking.”

Renzou shrugged, trying his best to play the whole thing off, “I have no idea what you’re talking about, pops! If it’s those magazines you found in my room, you shouldn’t be this disappointed in me!”

“This is no laughing matter, Renzou!” Uwabami spoke, his voice filled with confusion, but mostly anger.

“It wouldn’t be this bad if it was just a girl, but a kitsune…? Renzou, I’m a little disappointed in you myself.” Juuzou sighed, rubbing his temples. “You do know the risks of keeping one, right?”

Renzou laughed nervously, though he knew he was in big trouble. “Look, I couldn’t just leave her out there! You saw her, she was hurt!”

Kinzou covered his laugh with a hand over his mouth. “But you gotta admit, she is pretty cute!”

“Right, right? That’s what I said too! I even got to see her nak…”

“Kinzou, Renzou!” Yaozo hissed. “This is a serious matter! That girl must leave immediately!”

“But, pops…!” Renzou started. Great, how was he supposed to get himself out of this mess. “Oh, wait a minute! She said she owes me a favor for saving her! I don’t know much about what that means, but it’s something good, right?”

“A favor…?” Juuzou asked, suddenly calming his anger down. He shook his head. “Father, we must talk this over again. I feel like we misunderstood this whole situation.” He turned his attention to Yaozo, who looked just as surprised.

His father was quiet for what seemed like an eternity. “Fine. But hear me out Renzou, you’re far from being off the hook, hear me?”

“Yeah, yeah, pops. Now if you’ll excuse me…” Grabbing his school bag and quickly jumping up to his feet, he rushed out of the meeting room and down the hall to his room.

* * *

Izumo was laying on the bed, her legs crossed with her hair neatly in pigtails. She was still wearing the traditional robes of the temple, but had it messily put on. She had a book in her hand and when Renzou got a better look at it, he saw it was some sort of shoujo manga. Well, she was a girl after all, so maybe she behaved like a normal human? Er… well, at least tried to maybe.

“Izumo…?” Renzou whined softly, closing the sliding door behind him. He kicked his shoes off to the side as he stumbled over to his bed. “What are you doing…? Pops and Juuzou found out about you?”

Izumo took her eyes off the manga for a brief moment before shrugging. “Well, you said to only leave your room when I absolutely needed something.” She flipped the page, “And I got hungry. You never showed me around this place so I didn’t know where to go. I ran into some noisy yellow-head so he probably opened his mouth.”

So this was Kinzou’s doing then? “Were you like… this? I mean, you know, human-like?”

Izumo marked her page in the book, closing it as she sat up with a frown. Crossing her legs, she scoffed, “Well, duh. Being a fox wouldn’t get me anywhere! Just because I’m good luck doesn’t mean people like foxes wandering around temples!”

Renzou stopped to think for a moment and then he spoke, “So… Juuzou and pops seemed kind of surprised when I said that you owe me a favor. What's up with that?”

“Like I said before, I’m going to be the one that actually goes through with the favor. It already seems like you're perverted enough. You have a bunch of dirty magazines and books laying around.” Izumo slowly started to change the topic, but Renzou caught her before she could go any farther.

“Hey, I'm being serious. Just what are you?” he asked. His voice was calm despite the seriousness in his tone. “I'm kind of in trouble now because of this whole thing.”

Izumo sighed, though she didn't look too happy to explain. “I'm a kitsune, you know that much. But to be more specific, I'm a messenger of the great Inari like I mentioned the other day. That's all you need to know about me.”

Getting answers out of the girl was a lot harder than he thought it was going to be. Renzou rubbed his neck as he watched Izumo look around the room for what seemed like the hundredth time in the past minute. “You're not a bad person, right?” he suddenly asked.

“White foxes are a sign of good omens, though I can't speak for others. I, on the other hand, will not hurt the one who saved me or his family. I can promise you that.” Izumo responded, the words coming out of her mouth like a soothing song.

The silence between the two was awkward, but mostly for Renzou. He still couldn't believe the fox he rescued turned out to be able to transform into a human and was a messenger of the harvest god. She seemed more calm than when they first met which was a good sign according to Renzou. Maybe his father and brother would get used to it after a few days of having Izumo around the temple. And then a thought hit him: just what exactly would the High Priest have to say about the whole thing?

“Hey, pink-head. Are you listening to me?” Izumo kicked at his legs with a scowl. “Don't ignore me or I won't grant you that favor.”

Renzou absentmindedly blinked before he shook his head. “Ah, sorry. I was thinking about some things. What did you say?”

“I said take me shopping.” The reply came out of the girl’s mouth as blunt as most things she said. “I don't like these clothes and they're too big for me. I need something that will actually fit.”

Renzou nodded, “Yeah, sorry. Let's go now! I can do my homework later.” He grabbed Izumo’s hand though she instinctively pulled away.

“Do not touch me without my permission, moron.” she hissed. “I will pick out whatever clothes I want and you will not complain, got it?”

“For some reason I feel like I'll regret this…” Renzou said to himself with a small whine.


	6. Chapter 6

Renzou was either doing something dangerously stupid or something that would make his father calm down at the temple. There was no in between. He figured it was probably his first guess, but it was already time for lunch and there was no way he was getting away with ditching school.

He had allowed Izumo to come to school with him, but that was only because his father said he had to look after her. Yes, getting into the mess he was in was a pain in his ass, but his punishment could have been a lot worse. The only thing that was going to go downhill today was that he kept the whole thing about bringing Izumo a secret from Suguro and Konekomaru. _That_ should be a fun conversation to have, especially with Suguro. 

He has bolted out of the classroom as soon as it was time for lunch and he made it outside in record breaking time. When he sat in the grass and opened his school bag, he was greeted with two red eyes glaring at him. Snow white fur bristled with anger and teeth connected with his hand when he tried to pet the small animal. 

“Ouch! Izumo, that hurt!” Renzou whined, rubbing the spot on his hand where he was bit. “I know you're mad, but pops said I had to keep an eye on you and I can't do that while I'm at school!”

Izumo nudged Renzou’s hand with her paw and even though she was being gentle, her nails scratched at him. “Pink-head, I’m starving! You said I could have something to eat once we got outside, so hurry it up!”

Renzou grinned, poking at Izumo’s head with one hand while his other hand took out a bento box. “Alright, alright, jeez. I don’t know what foxes eat exactly, but something in here’s gotta be good for you.” He opened the bento box and as he felt a hand on his shoulder. His instincts quickly took over and he shoved Izumo back into the bag without any warning.

“Shima, you’re out here earlier than any of us.” Paku said as she looked from behind KOnekomaru, who had his hand on Renzou’s shoulder.

“Yeah, that’s kind of suspicious. What’s up, man?” Rin asked, sitting down.

Suguro took his normal spot to the right of Renzou and Konekomaru to his left. Shiemi sat down next to Rin, who showed off his handmade bento lunch. Paku sat herself next to the blonde girl on her other side and pulled out a few pieces of candy. Renzou felt his heart drop when Suguro and Konekomaru turned their attentions to him and then to his bag. God, he hoped that Izumo would stay put.

“Wanna see my porn collection that bad?” Renzou asked with a teasing grin. “I’ll show you if you really wanna see!” He made a motion to his bag and his hand was slapped away from the bag by a white paw. “D-Damn it…”

“Sh-Shima, what was that!?” Shiemi shrieked out. “Something just came out of your bag!”

Rin looked amused, “Oh, what is it! It’s some kind of animal, right? It’s gotta be!”

“Bringing animals onto school grounds isn’t exactly the rules.” Paku told him, looking a bit worried. “Be careful you don’t get caught.”

Renzou was glad his friends weren’t mad but Suguro’s face had anger written all over it. Konekomaru just looked disappointed. “Shima… why is she here?”

“Pops said I had to keep an eye on her and I couldn’t just leave her at home!” Renzou said back, sounding hurt.

Izumo poked her head out of the bag with an annoyed look on her face. Jumping out of it, she snatched a piece of meat from Renzou’s bento box. “Honestly, I would have been fine back at the temple. I wouldn’t have left.” She held up her front paw, showing off the bruise.

“Oh no!” Shiemi said, leaning over to look at Izumo. “Shima, did you help her? Those bruises look bad!”

“Forget about the bruises, that animal just talked!” Rin said, waving his hands in front of him. “Th-That’s incredible!”

Konekomaru looked at Rin with a soft sigh, “Isn’t it the same with Kuro though? You can communicate with him.”

“Oh, I guess that’s true.” Rin said, looking at his bento box before opening it. His black tail swishing back and forth.

“Speaking of Kuro, you left him in the dorm rooms, right?” Shiemi smiled over at Rin. “If he’s still not feeling well, I can help!”

Izumo immediately back down from Rin, her tail bristling before fluffing out. She made a hissing noise before swatting her paw at him. “You’re not human… but you’re not a demon either… something else?” she grumbled to herself.

Each of those things was correct, but Rin was just… Rin. He was a half-demon, being the son of a human and Satan. Yes, _Satan._ Although he and Yukio are twins, Rin was the only one to inherit their real father’s powers, while Yukio was just a normal human. Since Yukio attended the cram school for exorcists, Rin roomed with him back at the dorms, making it easier for both of them to attend classes instead of going back to the church where they were raised. His friends knew about this and his pointed ears and black tail clearly showed that he wasn’t exactly human. Kuro was Rin’s foster father’s familiar, a black, twin-tailed demon cat who never almost never left Rin’s side.

Renzou patted Izumo’s back but was instead greeted with a swipe of her paw, her nails digging into his skin once again. “Izumo, calm down. Rin’s a good guy, he’s just different.”

“Shima, she’s really cute!” Shiemi motioned to Izumo, quickly changing the awkward subject. “Where did you find her? Is she okay?” she shot out questions, wanting to get the answers.

“Moriyama, she’s fine.” Suguro answered before Renzou had the chance to say anything.

Renzou frowned, “Bon, she was talking to me!” He whined, “She was hurt at one of the shrines I pass coming to school so I picked her up. She’s doing a lot better than she was the other day.”

“Hey, little one. You can obviously talk, so what’s your name?” Shiemi asked Izumo, a gentle tone in her voice.

Izumo scowled, “Don’t treat me like a child!” She licked her paw, huffing to herself. “Pink-head, I’m ready to go back to the temple. Take me there. Now.”

“Sorry, Izumo, but there’s still time left in the school day. Bear with me for just a little longer, please?” Renzou pouted.

Izumo was not excited about keeping quiet in Renzou’s bag. At all. It wasn’t comfortable and wasn’t even big enough to fully lay down in it. It also reeked of something she couldn’t identify, but she really didn’t want to know. Little did she know, she would soon figure out what that disgusting smell was… and it wasn’t going to make her happy.


	7. Chapter 7

Being from a family of exorcists had its ups and downs. For starters, there were cute girls that came around the temple asking about simple problems that were happening around the house. The majority of the time it was only a small infestation of Coal Tar and even Renzou knew how to get rid of them. The only downside of being from a family of exorcists was the high expectation of becoming one in the future. Although it wasn’t his favorite thing to talk about, if it would get him a cute girlfriend, he would definitely think about it. Girls were his weakness after all.

Out of all of his brothers, Juuzou constantly bugged him about attending the cram school. Kinzou didn’t mention it much, but he knew his father would say the same thing as Juuzou. It’s not that he didn’t want to be an exorcist, he just had more important things to do. Besides, he knew how to get rid of most smaller ranking demons from being around the temple. Hell, even Bon could manage to exorcise medium ranked demons with all the sutras he memorized.

He cleaned his school bag out, throwing everything that was inside on the floor in his bedroom. If he was going to be bringing Izumo to school like he did that day, he didn’t want her complaining about the smell. It was only holy water, but it bothered her. Whether or not Izumo actually reacted _badly_ to it was beyond his knowledge. It was already almost time for summer break, so he wouldn’t have to worry about getting caught with an animal at the school.

His family was still hesitant to let Izumo roam around the temple, but Kinzou was the only one who didn’t seem to mind much. Bon had kept it a secret from his father still, but he was bound to figure it out sometime. After all, the Shimas and Hojos all knew. It felt wrong to keep a secret this big from the High Priest, but maybe it was for his own good… for now anyways. He knew it would take time for the temple to get used to it, hell, it would even take _him_ a while to get used to having a girl around him constantly.

Izumo seemed to be a lot happier when she wasn’t stuffed in his school bag. He wouldn’t blame her though, he would be happier not being shoved into anything either. He thought about having Izumo attend school with him, but he wasn’t a hundred-percent sure how well that would work out. He wasn’t going to mention that he was thinking about it to anyone, that would only cause even more problems.

“... head… pink-head!” Izumo snapped him out of his thoughts. She was sitting in front of him on the floor, her legs crisscrossed. “Are you even listening to a word I’m saying?”

Renzou blinked. He didn’t even realized she was talking, which was weird because he loved the sound of a girl’s voice. He shook his head, “Sorry, I was thinking of some things. What were you saying?”

“I said that I no longer want to go back to that place!” Izumo huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. “It’s way too cramped in that dumb bag of yours and it smells terrible.” She made a face, pinching her nose as if she could still smell the stench.

“That’s because it’s holy water.” Oops. It slipped out. He wasn’t planning on telling her anytime soon that the entire temple was filled with exorcists… but there was no use hiding it now.

“Excuse me!?” Izumo stood up and immediately kept her distance from him. “Why would you have something like that in your bag?”

“Uh, well, Juuzou and the others are kind of exorcists. Did I forget to mention that?” Renzou nervously laughed. Rubbing his neck, he looked up at Izumo.

Izumo hissed, “Yes, you forgot to mention that!”

Now that he was thinking about it, holy water was only supposed to bother demons. Whether or not it really bothered good spirits was a mystery to him. If it was bothering Izumo this bad, then perhaps…

“You’re not a demon, are you?”

Izumo looked like she was ready to burst. Anger filled her eyes and holy shit did she show it. Her foot met with Renzou’s face, her hell digging into his nose. “Exorcists killed my mother.” It was harsh, but there was definitely some pain and sadness mixed in. “I _hate_ them.”

And there was the guilt that stung Renzou’s heart. For some reason, this girl really got to him. He tapped her foot and she pulled away with a shriek. Getting a better look at her, he thought he saw tears in her eyes. Whether or not it was from the memories of losing her mother or just the frustration, it was a new side to her that he never saw before. Shaking her emotions out of his head, his attention focused to something else… more specifically, up the skirt she was wearing.

“Oh, Izumo~ I can see your panties from here! It’s such a good view!”

Izumo felt her face get hot. It was definitely from the anger, definitely the anger, definitely… “Why, you…!” she yelled.


	8. Chapter 8

* * *

_“Izumoo…!” Her mother wrapped her arms around her, whining as she did so. “Izumo…!”_

_“Ugh, what do you want?” Izumo scowled. Shrugging her mother off._

_Izumo inherited her appearance from her mother - they could probably pass as twins if she was Izumo’s age. She had the same purple hair, bangs cut in the same style as her daughter. Her eyes were large and dark and her eyebrows were similar in shape. Kamiki Tamamo was wearing the traditional hakama and underneath that was wearing her signature nagajuban. She was the chief priestess of the Inari Shrine where her two daughters lived. Both of her daughters took the form of a white fox, though her eldest daughter, Izumo, had black markings on the tip of her ears. While her daughters preferred their fox forms, Tamamo would often hang around the shrine as a human._

_“Mother, what do you want?” Izumo asked again, huffing and puffing. “I’m trying to feed Tsukumo.” She held a spoon up to her younger sister’s mouth, making a face when she wouldn’t eat. “Come on, eat!”_

_Tamamo made a face which caused Tsukumo to laugh and Izumo took her shot and shoving the spoon in her mouth. “Tama is going out for a little bit tonight, okay?”_

_“Yeah, whatever.”_

_“Please be safe while Tama’s gone!” Tamamo held Izumo in her arms, once again being pushed away by her eldest daughter with a low growl._

_Tamamo had raised her two little girls as an only parent, though the man she was seeing was a human… and she knew that Izumo did not approve. In fact, she never wanted to meet him. Her daughters never knew their real father and Tamamo didn’t talk much about him, so they didn’t ask any questions. So that night, Tamamo left the shrine in a hurry. She wasn’t going to see her lover, but instead, overheard from a few travelers that exorcists were in the area._

_She knew what that meant. Her and her daughters were possibly a threat to them. Spirits were often easy to get rid of and since Tamamo was a spirit of Inari, they had to listen to her, right? After all, Inari was a well-known God amongst the humans. But that’s where she was wrong. She was a spirit in a way, but she never told her daughters the truth. She was a demon, or rather, possessed by a high ranking one. The Nine-Tailed Fox Spirit was one of the most powerful spirits amongst the family of kitsune. She did not want her daughters finding out about this, as she did not have control over the demon._

_As she approached the noises she heard, she peered behind the trees, keeping herself well hidden. She had to return home safe for her daughters, there was no other exception. She froze as her vision blurred for a brief moment and she got a better look at the people in front of her. They were exorcists all right, she knew the uniform. The black clothes said it all, as did the scent of holy water. Laying on the ground in front of the group, there was a spirit, or what was left of one anyways._

_She scowled, her vision blurring once again until she couldn’t see. Her dark hair slowly started to turn white, her pupils slitting. Her iris became bright and piercing, almost blinding to look at while her sclera became pitch-black. Her nails and teeth grew, getting sharper by the second. And like the name of the demon possessing her announced, nine fox tails came up from underneath her kimono. And that was the last thing she remembered._

_Until Izumo showed up._

_Izumo knelt down beside her mother, who was slowly starting to “disappear” as she put it. She was in a panic, saying that exorcists took Tsukumo from her and she just barely managed to escape the home. Bringing a hand up to her daughter’s face, she smiled weakly._

_“You’re Tama’s… precious treasure… Izumo…”_

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Information on Tamamo's clothing:
> 
> Hakama - a type of traditional Japanese clothing.  
> Nagajuban - the undergarment of a kimono.


	9. Chapter 9

Izumo woke up from her dream in a panic. Well, nightmare. She was laying in Renzou’s bed, as she had claimed it as hers since she got there. Renzou was sleeping, sprawled out on the floor. He was snoring softly, mumbling something in his sleep. Izumo’s hair fell into her face. She didn’t realize how much she was sweating until she felt her forehead. She panted and looked at the door, which was slightly open. There was a small light coming in from the hallway, probably from one of the other rooms.

She was used to things like this though. The nightmares would come and go, though no matter what, she was still haunted by her mother’s death. She didn’t know where her sister was or even if she was still alive. She was hoping for some good news though. As long as Tsukumo was okay, that’s all that matter… right?

She jumped at the shuffling of blankets and looked over to see Renzou sitting up and looking at her. “Pink-head?”

“You alright?” Renzou tiredly asked. “Is something wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong, I’m fine. I thought I heard something outside.” Izumo shrugged, keeping her cool as she laid back down. “... everything’s fine.” she said again. Turning to face the wall, she could feel Renzou’s gaze still on her. “Stop staring at me!”

Renzou smiled a bit and rested his head on his arms as he moved closer to the bed. “You’re sweating. Is it too hot in here? I can go get a fan.”

Izumo shook her head, “I’m fine! How many times do I have to repeat myself!” She huffed, though the sound of a having a fan on did sound nice. “You can go get one if you want to. I don’t care.”

Renzou stood up, rubbing the back of his neck. “I’ll be back. Don’t go anywhere.”

She wouldn’t leave even if she wanted to. She knew that if she left to go back to the shrine she called home, her injuries would only slow her down, making her a target for larger animals. Sometimes she forgot she was a fox, though she was briefly reminded when her injuries started to bother her. She cursed to herself. This isn’t how she wanted to live her life, especially not with some pervert who came from a family of exorcists.

By the time she calmed herself down from her nightmare, Renzou was back with a fan. Plugging it in, he turned it on and sat back down. “This okay?”

Izumo nodded, though she didn’t make eye contact. She was lying on her back instead of on her side. Nodding, she spoke, “Yeah, that’s fine. Thanks.”

 

The next morning, Renzou left for school without Izumo. That was fine with her. She didn’t like being shoved in a bag where she could barely breathe. She found that out when she was woken up by a loud noise down the hall. She sat up in the bed, rubbed her eyes, and looked at where Renzou was last night. “Hmm…” It was in her natural instinct as an animal to check the noise out, so she got out of bed and peeked out the door.

There was no one that she could see, but there was definitely someone up. She still didn’t know the schedule of the people living at the temple, which made her a little nervous. Renzou always reassured her that his family wouldn’t bother her if she didn’t bother them, but she had to be cautious… she still didn’t trust anyone. Hell, she was still trying to learn how to trust Renzou.

When she determined it was safe, she made her move out of the room. With a hand on her stomach, she cursed to herself as she made her way down the hallway. She was slowly getting used to the large temple and was pretty sure she could get lost at any given moment. All she wanted to do was get some food and go back to the room to wait for Renzou to get back home. Everything was going fine until she took her eyes off the hallway for a brief moment and then she ran into…

“Oh, you’re, uh… Izumi, right?” it was the blond brother. The obnoxiously loud one that was in a band apparently. He looked down at her, a look on his face saying he wasn’t exactly sure what to say.

“It’s, uh, Izumo…” Izumo sheepishly responded. She didn’t look him in the eyes. “I was just going to get something to eat.”

“Isn’t Renzou supposed to be watching you? He left for school a few hours ago.” Kinzou rubbed the back of his neck. “Juuzou won’t be too happy about that and neither will pops.”

That made Izumo make eye contact. “It was my choice not to go. I don’t like being cooped up in his bag; it stinks. And I overhear a bunch of conversations I don’t ever want to hear again.”

Kinzou laughed, “That sounds like my little brother!” Looking at Izumo, he smiled. “Man, you are really cute now that I’m getting a better look at ya.” He studied her, looking her up and down, causing her to blush.

There was something that was telling Izumo to turn back around and forget about the food, but her stomach was telling her otherwise. This guy standing before her was an exorcist and she made a promise to never get involved with one… So far so good, er, in a way anyways. She tried to ignore Kinzou as she made her way down the hall, though she came to a stop.

“Uhm…”

“Right.” Kinzou told her, pointing with a wink. “The snake hag might be in there, so watch your step. She’s really got an attitude today.” He put his hands behind his head and whistled, making his way down the opposite side of the hall.

Embarrassed, Izumo hurried down to the right. It seemed to take her forever to get to the kitchen, but she eventually reached it. She awkwardly walked past the white-haired girl, who didn’t seem to notice her. _“Good.”_ Izumo thought to herself, _“The less questions I have to answer the faster I can get back to the bedroom.”_

Mamushi glanced over to her. It was just the two of them and Izumo felt a little more comfortable being around another girl than she did with Renzou’s brothers. Getting a better look at the other woman, Izumo saw the red snake-like tattoo going down her right cheek and neck. It was fitting for someone with snake-like eyes. She must have been staring too much before Mamushi gave her an angry glare as she cleared her throat.

“What do you want? Stop staring at me.” Mamushi said with a cold tone. Her eyes narrowed, making her look even more like a snake.

“Woops, sorry.” Izumo said with a simple shrug. She heard Mamushi scoff as she looked around the kitchen. She then realized she was never in the kitchen by herself and had no choice but to ask the other girl for help… it was either that or starve.

“Uhm…” she hesitated to speak as she turned around to face Mamushi, who was now standing up from the table.

“There’s some leftover meat in the fridge. Just heat it up. You do know how to do that, right?” Standing at the same height as Izumo, Mamushi looked flat-out annoyed, which was normal, or so Izumo hoped.

Izumo made a face, “I’m not that stupid. I know how to heat food up.”

Shrugging, Mamushi turned her attention to the door they heard open from across the hall. “You’re not supposed to be here. Is that damned pink-headed monkey slacking off that much?”

Damned pink-headed monkey. Izumo chuckled to herself. Maybe this girl wasn’t as bad as she thought. If anyone agreed with her on Renzou, they couldn’t be _that_ bad, right? She quickly grabbed food from the refrigerator and started to heat a plate up of food. She searched around the kitchen for some water, huffing and puffing when she couldn’t find any. She was going to ask the snake girl, but noticed she must have slipped out of the kitchen when she wasn't looking. But then, a smaller bottle caught her eye. Reaching for it, she opened it and took a big sip. Big mistake.

The last thing she remembered was her vision going black.


	10. Chapter 10

When Izumo woke up, she found herself laying down with a blanket covering her. Her vision blurred briefly as she opened her eyes to look around. She could hear voices not far from where she was laying. Her head was throbbing from the pain and she could barely remember what happened before she passed out. She staggered to sit up and caught herself with her hand while her other hand went up to her head. She felt a bandage wrapped around her and she struggled to keep her eyes open. She went to open her mouth and it was only then she realized how badly her throat was hurting.

“Oh, hey!” It was Juuzou who was at her side almost immediately to help balance her. “You shouldn’t try to move.”

Izumo attempted to shrug him off but ended up relying on him to help her sit up. She hissed at him, signaling for him to back off and not get so closed to her. Once her vision was done messing around with her, she was able to see not only Juuzou, but also Kinzou, Renzou, and an older man that she never saw before. Their father maybe? She didn’t keep her focus on them for long.

“Are you alright…” Juuzou trailed off as he looked Izumo. It was almost as if he was begging her to talk.

“Izumo. Kamiki Izumo.” she croaked out. Damn did it hurt to talk. She rubbed her throat, noticing another set of bandages wrapped around her. Now she really wanted to know what happened before she blacked out. Her memory was fuzzy and she could barely remember what happened before she even blacked out.

“Well, Kamiki. How are you feeling?” Juuzou asked her again, this time, with a more former sounding tone in his voice.

“... fine.” She decided to keep her answers short and sweet. She didn’t want to make her throat any worse than what it was already feeling. “What happened?”

“You don’t remember?” Kinzou asked. He moved over some to sit next to her, much to her dislike (and Renzou’s). “If the snake-hag didn’t go back in the kitchen when she did, you would have died!”

“That doesn’t tell me what happened!” Izumo snapped, but her cough caught her off guard before she could even finish her sentence without a problem.

She covered her mouth with one hand while the other supported her balance. Juuzou was still holding on to her but he wasn’t as close as he was before. She felt like she was interrupting something important because all eyes were on her. She went to go speak but Renzou beat her to it.

“Should we really be letting her talk?” Renzou asked.

Juuzou let out a sigh and leaned back to stretch out his back before he started to talk. “You collapsed in the kitchen.” He rubbed the back of his neck, “I guess you’ve already figured that part out. As for your throat, you drank a bottle of holy water.

“H-Holy water…” Izumo said softly to herself. She thought for a moment before realizing what he was saying. “Who the hell just leaves holy water in a regular water bottle!?”

“We’re a family of exorcists. It’s what we do.” the older man that was in the room finally broke his silence and spoke. His eyes were like knives stabbing into Izumo’s and she had to look away. “And since it did that amount of damage to your throat…”

Izumo hesitated for a minute. No. This could _not_ be happening. She was a _spirit._ A _kitsune._ She was not a demon. She was nothing related to a demon so how…? “I don’t… understand.”

“Pops, what you’re saying is…” Renzou seemed just as shocked as Izumo did. She could tell it was the same emotion she was feeling by the look in his eyes. “Izumo’s…”

“She’s a demon.” Yaozo spoke as if it wasn’t a big problem, but then his gaze fell on his youngest son. “That fox you rescued was not a spirit like we were all thinking.” He crossed his arms over his chest as he let out a hoarse cough. “No matter how you look at this situation, she’s a demon.”

“I’m not…” Izumo was interrupted by a coughing fit. Covering her mouth with both hands, she wiped her mouth, staring at the blood on her hand. “I’m not a demon! I’m a kitsune!” she said when she gathered the strength to actually speak.

“Then explain why the holy water did so much damage.” The tone in Yaozo’s voice kept getting harsher and harsher.

That was the problem. She _didn’t_ have an explanation for why the holy water did so much damage. She didn’t have an explanation for why she was being accused of being a demon. And she certainly didn’t have an explanation for why the damned holy water burned so much!

“What should we do, pops?” Kinzou asked. He didn’t sound too sure of himself, so maybe that was a good sign for Izumo.

“She may be a kitsune, but…” Yaozo sighed. “... that doesn’t excuse the fact that she’s a demon. Kitsunes are supposed to return favors much like you said, Renzou but just remember _what_ she is.”

Renzou looked at his father, a hint of disappointment in his eyes. Or was is just more sadness? “But that’s what kitsunes are supposed to do, right?”

“Yes. That’s what _I’m_ supposed to do. I’m not a demon.” Izumo slowly spoke. She steadied herself, making sure she didn’t burst out into another coughing fit. Using Juuzou, she gathered all her strength to stand up. “I don’t care what you say. I’m a kitsune.”

Juuzou went to go stop her but she was too quick for him. Izumo darted out of the room, past Yaozo, Kinzou, and Renzou. She didn’t want to be in that room any longer than she already was. She didn’t know where she was going but she didn’t care. She just wanted out of that room. She needed to clear her mind, to think.


	11. Chapter 11

It had been almost an hour since Izumo ran away from the temple. Renzou begged his father to go after her but that request was denied every time, though he wasn’t really surprised about that. It was his father after all and he was a strict person but he knew he wouldn’t be able to change that about him. Yaozo had tried talking about the “truth” about the girl, but Renzou wouldn’t listen. He didn’t _want_ to. Out of all the things he rescued, it was a demon. _No._ Izumo said she wasn’t a demon so something must not be right about the whole situation. Then there was the holy water. If she wasn’t a demon, why did it do so much damage to her throat?

He groaned. Thinking about this was only making his thoughts jump to conclusions and that’s not what he needed. Izumo was injured more than she was when she first came to the temple and he was worried. He should be searching for her outside of the temple and oh god he had feelings for her. Before he could think anymore about it, the door of his room slid open.

“Renzou, we need to talk.” Juuzou said, sliding the door closed behind him. “Father said you wouldn’t listen to him, so he sent me in here.”

“I don’t want to listen to anyone.” Renzou was sitting with his back against his back. “I just need time to think.”

Juuzou frowned a bit and he sat down in front of him. “It’s something you need to be aware of.”

He knew he wasn’t getting off that easily and it was Juuzou of all his brothers. He wasn’t going to be able to run out of his room like he wanted to. Juuzou was going to make him sit there and listen to what he was going to say, whether or not Renzou wanted to hear it or not. Putting up a fight wasn’t going to get him anywhere and would probably just make the situation even worse.

“Fine. I’m not going to like it though, am I?” Renzou let out an irritated sigh. “Just get on with it.”

“Kamiki was right about not being a demon.” Juuzou told him.

Well, that wasn’t what he was expecting to hear. Especially after Izumo threw such a big fit in the room down the hall. “What do you mean? Pops said she was, didn’t he?”

“Well, that’s not exactly a lie either.” Juuzou sighed, “It’s not exactly easy to explain but I’ll do my best. Father did some research about the Kamiki family when she stormed out. It turns out that she _is_ a kitsune, but it gets a little more complicated than that.”

“More complicated? Sounds like a pain in the ass if you ask me.” Renzou stretched his legs out, keeping his eyes glued to Juuzou, as if he was begging for answers silently with his eyes.

“Her mother was a chief priestess of the shrine they lived at. She raised Kamiki and her little sister to believe that they were messengers of Inari, which made her believe she owes you a favor since you saved her. That’s what kitsunes do; it’s what they’re meant to do.” Juuzou continued on, but there was something he _wasn’t_ saying.

Renzou narrowed his eyes, “You’re keeping something from me. What is it?” he asked. “I know I’m not going to want to know, but pops is expecting you to tell me the whole story, isn’t he?”

“Sharp as always, Renzou.” Juuzou let out a soft, nervous laugh. “Well,” he continued you. “Kamiki’s mother wasn’t exactly a kitsune. She covered up that lie with the truth.”

“Just get on with it already!” Renzou snapped out, hitting the bed with his fist. “I need to go find Izumo! I have to… make sure she’s alright.” His words trailed off and he quieted himself.

Juuzou noticed where this was going so he wrapped it up as quickly as possible. “The Kamiki family passes down a demon known as the Nine-Tailes. It was made to keep the family safe but we don’t know how many years it goes back. Unfortunately, Kamiki’s mother passed away when she was young and the fox demon transferred hosts sooner than it was supposed to.”

It was starting to make sense… though still wasn’t sure about the whole thing. “So then, the reason Izumo hates exorcists is because what exactly? She told me that the other day.”

Juuzou nodded, “There was a raid at the temple they lived at when the True Cross figured out about the demon’s whereabouts. It wasn’t supposed to end how it ended, but… the demon was supposed to have be exorcised during that time. Apparently we were wrong.”

“That doesn’t explain what happened though, Juuzou! Tell me everything! What are you hiding?” Renzou asked. He was starting to get annoyed as his brothers words and actions. It wasn’t like Juuzou to just keep information from him. He knew Izumo hated exorcists but he didn’t know _why_ or what caused her to hate them.

“The bullet that shot Kamiki’s mother wasn’t supposed to be a fatal shot. You’re aware that Dragoon’s take excellent care of their bullets and weapons, right?” Juuzou continued on after getting a quick nod from Renzou. “But the team later found out that someone sabotaged the bullet. Saburota-sensei was the one who did it.”

Renzou looked at his brother. “Wasn’t that yours and Mamushi’s teacher from the Academy?”

Juuzou nodded, though he looked like part of it was his fault. “We trusted him, but that’s not the point right now. He’s under investigation by higher ranked exorcists right now, but so far there’s nothing he’s telling us. We’re assuming he wanted the Nine-Tails and Kamiki’s mother dead but for reasons we’re not aware of just yet.”

That was it. It was a logical explanation of why Izumo hated exorcists so much. All because of someone wanted the demon dead. He was aware that Dragoons were supposed to take great care of the exorcist gear, but as far as he was concerned, the exorcist that shot her mother was just as guilty as Saburota Todo. He frowned as he stopped himself from thinking too much again. 

“So that demon is inside of Izumo now then… but why? You said it was supposed to be dead!” he said with a huff. “This isn’t… making any sense!” Renzou stood up, his hands clenched into fists. The fact was, he _knew_ that it made sense it just felt like something else was missing.

“That’s correct.” Juuzou nodded. “We’re assuming that the demon transferred hosts too soon and that Izumo wasn’t aware of it until just recently.” He touched a finger to his throat. “Either that or the demon itself wasn’t aware that her body was a host for it. Father is on the case now and was told to keep an eye on her, just in case the demon goes berserk again.”

 _Again._ That means it happened more than one time already. Izumo wasn’t capable of killing or harming anyone, was she? Well, she was capable of harming people with her words, but she wouldn’t hurt anyone without meaning to… right? 

“This demon sounds kind of dangerous, Juuzou.” Renzou had to force himself to laugh as he looked down at his eldest brother. “So pops wants to keep an eye on her, huh? You sure it’s not just because he wants to exorcise the demon himself?”

“That may be the case, but since we’re aware that the demon has the ability to transfer hosts so early, we’re taking that into consideration. It’s something we shouldn’t have to worry about though.” Juuzou told him, standing up to face his brother. “The demon can only switch between Kamiki family members and since her little sister is still missing, we won’t have to worry about it. It could easily be an easy exorcism.”

Juuzou had a point. If the demon was exorcised, Izumo would be a normal kitsune, right? If that was the case, it would be better than having the entire temple on guard constantly. But the thing was, he already knew that Izumo would definitely not agree to those terms. As far as she was concerned, exorcists killed her mother. While that was the case, it wasn’t supposed to happen like Juuzou said. If only he could manage to explain that to Izumo without her throwing a fit.

“Renzou.” Juuzou said calmly. “I’m asking you to go find her and bring her back here. I know she’s not going to like it and I’m sure you know that already too. But it’ll be safer than having her out there where she’s in danger. Especially if the demon does go berserk. You can do that, right?”

Renzou grinned, “Of course I can! I’ll rescue any girl that’s in danger!” He spoke proudly, slowly reverting back to his old self. “Leave it to me, big bro!”


	12. Chapter 12

Izumo had been gone for almost an hour but it felt like an eternity to her. She had returned back to the Inari temple that she called home and was sitting in front of the shrine. She had a lot on her mind, way _too much._ The thought of her being a demon was the first thing she wanted to get rid of… but even _she_ couldn’t bring herself to forget about the topic. As far as she was concerned, she was just as bad as that Okumura kid Renzou was friends with. She had only met him a few times but even then she could sense the presence of something strong within him.

_Danger._

That’s not what she was. She was not dangerous. Sure, her words and actions were harsh, but that’s just who she was. She couldn’t change that about herself. But a _demon?_ She wasn’t that bad of a person to be called something like that, or even be one. She stopped herself in her thoughts. Thinking back to when she was little, it kind of started to make sense. She still refused to admit it though. The thought of her mother lying to her made her feel upset. That’s not who her mother was.

She snapped herself out of her thoughts. Dwelling on information she didn’t know was true was not going to make her feel any better. It was about time she returned back to the temple where Renzou lived… if they even let her back. She stood up from where she was sitting on the ground and stretched. And then she heard footsteps from behind her. She turned around to attack but stopped herself.

Renzou was standing there with both hands held up in a defensive gesture. It wasn’t who she was expecting, but then again, she didn’t know exactly _who_ she was expecting to come after her. She watched as he took a step back, a smile appearing suddenly on his face.

“What’s that look for?” Izumo snapped out. She frowned, “And why did you follow me here? You’re such a creep.”

Renzou shook his head and chuckled. “No way. Juuzou explained the whole thing to me and sent me after you. We want to help you.”

“ _You?_ Help someone like me?” Izumo scoffed. “Yeah, right. Is this some kind of trap or something?”

“It’s not a trick, honest!” Renzou said. “You don’t… really know about your mother, do you?” He went on with hesitation. “... about what’s really going on, huh?”

“I don’t want to talk about it.” Izumo mumbled, her voice barely above a whisper. “But I’m curious. I just… don’t want to know.” 

Renzou looked at Izumo before he grabbed her arm. “Come on, I’ll explain it when we get back to the temple, okay?”

Izumo was hesitant to go with him but she didn’t bother to slap his hand away. She calmly went with him, not saying a word the whole way back.

* * *

Renzou explained the whole thing to her with the help of Juuzou. Shoved the two of them out of Renzou’s room so she had time to think… well that’s what she told them anyways. She was overcome with so many different emotions, she started to cry and like hell she was going to let someone see her cry. She was alone for over an hour and although she wanted someone’s company, she wasn’t prepared for them to see her red eyes. 

But then she let Renzou in. Why is was him, she didn’t know. It could have easily been the older brother or even the snake girl that she decided to talk to, but no. It was that stupid pink-haired idiot. She didn’t know why and it only made her angry. She was not the kind of person who let people into her life so easily, especially a human. She opened the sliding door, waving at Renzou to let him know she was fine to come in. She glared at Juuzou when he tried to walk in and shoved him out.

She wiped her eyes and forced herself to not look at Renzou. Quickly wiping her eyes she mumbled for him to shut the door. He did so and walked back over to Izumo, who had sat down on the bed. He hesitantly sat next to her, reaching for her hand that she surprisingly let him hold.

“Izumo…? Everything’s alright… right?” Renzou asked slowly, not wanting to upset her anymore than she already was. He could tell she was crying - her red eyes said it all.

Izumo was silent. She didn’t say anything for a few moments. “It’s just a lot to take in. I just found out my mother was lying to me and my sister our entire lives.” It came out harsh as ever, as if she was back to her normal self. “Thank you though.”

Well that was new. She hadn’t thanked him once except for saving her when he did, but that was it. He almost didn’t know what to say so he just held her hand. “You’re welcome.”

“This whole time I thought I was only a messenger of Inari but it turns out I’m some… freak.” Izumo scoffed aloud, gently squeezing his hand. “It’s just weird is all. I guess I’ll get used to it. I’m gonna have to right?”

Renzou nodded and then let the question slip, “Do you want my family to exorcise it? The demon I mean?”

He was expecting to be hit so he braced himself… but the hit never came. There was no fist to his face or stomach or side. Nothing. Izumo was in deep thought, her expression on her face said it all. He waited patiently, not wanting to interrupt her since he knew that it was a big decision for her to make.

“I don’t like exorcists.” Izumo said slowly. “But now I know it wasn’t their fault my mother died. It was only _one_ exorcist and I trust that you wouldn’t lie to me.”

It was nice to hear that she trusted him. It actually made him feel a lot better about the situation. “So that means… you’ll let them?”

Izumo made a face. He wasn’t sure if it was out of disgust or not. She was hard to read sometimes and those were one of those times. Her hair fell in front of her face and he moved it away to the side.

“I don’t know. Just because I know the truth, doesn’t mean I’m still not afraid of exorcists. Your family seems nice but this fox demon is supposed to be apart of me.” Izumo said with a tired huff. “Maybe I should just leave it be. I can learn how to control it by myself… or with you.”

Renzou’s lips met with hers in an instant. It wasn’t the exact time nor was it appropriate for the situation, but he couldn’t help himself. Surely he would get hit this time… he was _sure_ of it. He held her hand a bit tighter and was met with a slap to the face. There it was. Looking at Izumo, her face was starting to get red.

“Wh-What was that for, you pervert!?” Izumo hissed out. “Wipe that stupid---”

“S-Sorry! I couldn’t help myself!” He had a stupid grin on his face - she didn’t even have to finish her sentence for him to know. “I know it was a stupid thing to do but was it really that bad?”

“Stop saying weird things, idiot!” Izumo felt her face get hotter and hotter by the second. She couldn’t _possibly_ be blushing because of _this_ idiot, could she? And then she said the words she never thought she would say in her life. “... but it wasn’t _that_ bad.”

Renzou felt his face light up and a small blush crossed his face. “Really? Can I do it again then?”

Izumo bit her lip and then nodded. Her lips were met with his and it was even better than the first kiss. Before she knew it, she was kissing him back with her eyes closed. God, she was _really_ into this guy, wasn’t she? She cursed to herself mentally as she felt his arms around her waist and he pulled her to face him. She wasn’t used to this at all. She thought all humans were dirty, lying creeps. But maybe, just maybe, this guy was going to prove her wrong.


	13. Chapter 13

Izumo cannot believe that she agreed to the exorcism of the demon inside of her. Whether or not she would decide otherwise was beyond her and she probably wouldn't even know until the exorcism was already happening. She was foolish to trust Renzou, though their little moment they had the day before was stuck in her mind. She wondered if it was the same for the pink-haired boy, but he was at school so there was no way of her knowing.

She was used to his daily school routine by now and spent her days in his room mostly, though now that her secret was out, she was more than welcomed to walk around the temple. The Shima, Hojo, and Suguro family were all aware of the situation they were in, yet according to the so called “High Priest,” she was more than welcomed to come and go as she pleased. Humans really were foolish.

She had managed to sleep in that morning and didn’t wake up until about noon. Well, to be fair, it was Mamushi that woke her up. She still felt weird about the snake-like girl but if she was allowed at the temple, she couldn’t be _that_ bad, right? If she remembered correctly, Mamushi was engaged to Renzou’s oldest brother.

She was invited down the hall for lunch for the first time since she had been at the temple. It was nothing special but she was starting to begin to get hungry. She wasn’t going to pass down the chance to eat, especially knowing that an exorcism was going to be done on her… it just didn’t seem settling. She didn’t speak much during lunch and that seemed to be fine with Mamushi, though every so often Juuzou would try to get her to speak.

Renzou would be home in exactly four hours. She would sleep until then.

* * *

Renzou arrived home as soon as Izumo woke up. She was greeted not only by himself but also by Suguro and Konekomaru. She had only just recently figured out the three boys lived in the same temple but different inns. It made sense why they were always together. She scowled tiredly when her gaze met with Suguro’s and he returned the gesture.

“Kamiki, Shima says that you’re going to let his family perform an exorcism on you?” Konekomaru spoke with worry in his voice. “That can be dangerous. Are you sure you want to go through with it?”

Izumo shrugged, “I dunno. I guess so.” She twirled a loose strand of hair around her finger. “That demon was the reason why my mother died. I don’t want anything to do with it.”

“But still…” Suguro let out an irritated sigh. “Ever since Shima told us about the situation, I’ve been thinking…”

“Uh-oh, here we go.” Renzou said, tossing his school bag down on the floor as he sat next to Izumo on the bed.

Rolling his eyes, Suguro continued on speaking. “... the demon inside of you has been with your family forever, right? I remember something about Juuzou and my dad saying you had a sister, so what if the demon goes to her?”

Izumo immediately frowned after hearing Suguro speak. “My sister… I don’t even know if she’s alive.”

“What do you mean? I thought she was back at the shrine you came from.” Konekomaru said, sounding confused. “That’s what we all were assuming anyways.”

Izumo shook her head. “I wish that were the case.” Sighing, she looked down at her bare feet. “Tsukumo, my sister… she was taken the night my mother was killed by a group of people. I never saw those people in my life but I’m positive they knew the truth about my mother.”

“Sorry to hear that.” Suguro said. She could tell there was some truth in his voice, but he was hard for her to read.

“I’m sure she’s alive though. Just think positive thoughts!” Renzou said, grinning at her.

“Thanks, but I’m not going to get my hopes up.” Izumo played with the sheet she was covered up with. “I’m willing to take the chance of the demon leaving my body. If it goes to Tsukumo for whatever reason, I’ll find her and bring her here and we’ll do it all over again.”

Half of her believed what she was saying but the other half of her thought it was full of crap. She hadn’t seen Tsukumo for years and as far as she knew, her little sister was already dead. But Renzou was right. There was a small part of her that believed that she was somewhere safe. That was better than being dead.

“Pops is still talking with Uwabami of when to actually do the exorcism, so I dunno when that’ll happen.” Renzou hummed out.

“That’s fine. It’s not like I want to get it done with now. I mean, it would be nice but I’m just… not ready.” There was no way she was going to admit aloud that she was scared. Admitting to herself she felt that way was one thing, but saying it in front of someone else made her feel weak. She was not weak.


End file.
